The BBC’s children’s division has set its next commissioning wave across CBBC and CBeebies, and the pattern is clear: keep proven franchises on air while using new titles to carry public-service aims.
New commissions
CBBC has ordered Judge Hacker (15×4′), a comedy courtroom format built around the long-running puppet Hacker T Dog. Produced and distributed by DLT Entertainment UK, the show lets children and adults bring everyday “crimes” to a made-for-TV bench, with games and celebrity guests around the verdicts. It is slated for early 2027.
Also new: Climate Change & Me: Future Council, a documentary from director Damon Gameau that follows eight children exploring climate solutions and challenging large companies. Produced by Together Films, it premieres on CBBC on 9 November. Animated adventure Hyperlight – Battle of the Guardians joins the channel from A Productions, with Scrawl Animation as production partner.
- Judge Hacker — 15×4′ courtroom comedy entertainment, early 2027
- Climate Change & Me: Future Council — climate documentary, premieres 9 November
- Hyperlight – Battle of the Guardians — animated adventure set in a digital world
Renewals and CBeebies
CBBC renewals include season eight of Deadly 60, season 12 of Horrible Histories and season three of Gladiators: Epic Pranks. The Gladiators spin-off adds Halloween and Christmas specials, behind-the-scenes access at Sheffield Arena and three watch-along episodes.
For CBeebies, the newest commission is Animal Allsorts (30×5′), an animated series from Glasgow-based Maramedia adapted from Owen Davey’s books, built on young children’s love of collecting and sorting. It will not arrive until 2028 — a useful signal of how far ahead preschool animation is being locked.
Recommissions include Maddie & Triggs season two (52×7′) from Turnip & Duck for mid-2027, and a 10×5′ Christmas run of Tiny Tunes later this year. Tiny Tunes features deaf and hearing children singing and signing together in British Sign Language. Previously announced returning titles include BeddyByes and Football Fantastics.
What it signals
For suppliers and media planners, the slate is a balancing act. Returning brands such as Horrible Histories, Deadly 60 and Gladiators deliver dependable reach for 6–12s, while the climate film and BSL-led Tiny Tunes carry the BBC’s public-service requirements. The 2028 date for Animal Allsorts shows commissioning windows for preschool animation now run well beyond the next financial year.
Producers pitching into this market should treat familiarity and purpose as parallel tracks, not competing ones. A format built on an existing CBBC personality can move faster, while a new preschool property needs a long lead time and a clear educational or accessibility angle to stand out.
Source: C21media
